Sunday, February 7, 2010

Two reasons why I skipped X Stretch and dove right into Max Cardio Conditioning this morning;

I already took a rest day earlier this week when I was down with a cold; and

I knew I was going to indulge in some serious Super Bowl snacking (e.g., chicken wings, beef skewers, chips, salsa/guacamole, chocolate chip cookies) later in the day, and figured I'd better burn off some calories in advance.

The risk is real, cardiologists say, because studies have shown that when a favorite team loses, angry fans can suffer so much stress that the result is sudden cardiac death.

"If you look at a lot of data from a lot of different sports, there is a spectator risk," said Dr. Stephen Siegel, a cardiologist at New York University Langone Medical Center.

The best way to avoid this unhappy consequence is, "don't take it so seriously. Don't get so excited about it," he said. "Enjoy the game, have fun with it, but don't spend your life savings on betting on it and don't have your life invested in the outcome."